07-18-2015, 04:58 PM
After a week, Ayanna had settled into Scott's apartment. She hadn't made any contact with anyone back home and it appeared that she wasn't going to make any move any time soon. Though Scott didn't mind her living with him, it was not the ideal circumstance. She was depressed and angry. Whenever the subject of her sister or Tristan came up, Ayanna would immediately take up arms and try to start a fight. Usually, it was accusing Scott of being on their side.
It had been a long day at work and the drive home had been quiet. Ayanna had come to work every day of the week and he assumed it was because she didn't want to be alone. At work, there was a myriad of tasks to complete that would help her keep her mind off her problems.
There had been no talk of Aven or Tristan in the last two days, so Scott decided he would try again. He had been in contact with Aven and she had explained herself to him. It wasn't that he believed her to be an innocent party, but he knew how close the two sisters were and didn't want to see them separate over this.
Ayanna loved and worshiped her sister and had since they were children. He knew that she was hurting not having her in her life even if it was only for a week. She had been so lonely when Aven was away on the film set. Even though she talked of missing Tristan, he knew that it was Aven that she really missed.
Aven was always the one who would sacrifice herself for her two siblings. It was strange to Scott that she would do something like this to her sister. The last thing he would ever imagine Aven doing was purposely hurting them, but that was exactly what she had done. He asked himself if he could forgive her in Ayanna's place, yet no answer satisfied him. The truth was he could never know until he found himself there.
Walking into the apartment, Scott announced that he was going to make a simple dinner while Ayanna headed into her bedroom to change. That had become their habit after work. Both would put on their pajamas then Scott would cook their dinner over conversation.
Once they were in the kitchen, he began to take out the broccoli and a steak for them to share. While his frying pan warmed up on the stove, he seasoned the meat and prepared a cooking pot with chicken stock for their vegetables. Ayanna sat at the breakfast bar and watched him. She never offered to help and he never asked.
“Have you thought about talking to Aven?” He wasn't sure that asking before dinner was the appropriate time, but it would be all that was on his mind.
“No.” She responded, but it was not with the same heated passion he was used to hearing when Aven's name was brought up.
“No you haven't thought about it or no you aren't going to?”
“Either way the path is the same.” She watched as he crushed some garlic with a fork, before he began to chop it up. “I like a lot of garlic.”
“I know.” He continued on with his task. “Don't you think now that you both have calmed down that you should at least listen to what she has to say?”
“No.”
Scott tried not to sigh or show any discontent. “She feels really guilty and all she has done is beat herself up over this. Aven has never done anything like this to you, so it's not like it's a habit.”
The frown on her lips began to deepen and she looked up from the chopping block to his face. “Does that excuse what she did?”
“It doesn't, but can't you...”
“No.”
Ayanna had moved from being angry to just stubborn, but it was a step however small. Scott decided to drop the subject for now. At the very least he had gotten his bearing as to where she was in her mourning process. That would be good enough for now.
“Have you talked to Ayanna?” Tristan asked while sitting at the table in their kitchen. She was making dinner for everyone, though the past week Noah had been taking his meals upstairs. It left Aven with her awkward meals alone with the blonde man that lived in her basement.
“She'll call when she's ready.” Aven informed him, not certain why he had taken an interest in her sister's wellbeing. The man was selfish and she knew that his asking had to do something with him.
Tristan hadn't brought up their relationship since the day Ayanna left, and he was beginning to feel antsy. “Have you thought about what happened between us?”
Aven sighed and glared over at him from the stove. “I told you before, there is nothing between us. What happened was a mistake on my part. I am the cruel one here. I used you and I hurt my sister. That's all there is.”
He was quiet for a while as he watched her prepare their beef stew. The smell of the cooking meats was an aroma that he knew had carried throughout the house. It had come into his own living quarters which had informed him that Aven was in the kitchen. The smell of cooking food usually signified that Ayanna was home and it had taken both men a couple days to get used to the sight of Aven standing in the kitchen.
In some ways, Tristan missed the happiness that Ayanna would bring to every meal. Her food wasn't nearly as good as Aven's, but it came with a smile. He didn't know why that was so important to eating a meal, nor did he understand why he missed the constant squawking that the younger sister did while they ate. He loved his quiet, but now things were too silent. It was like they were constantly in a cemetery during a funeral.
“I care about you.” He nearly gagged on the words. It wasn't because they weren't true, but they felt so unnatural when he spoke them.
“I know, you've told me and I've told you that nothing will ever happen between us, so it's best that you start accepting that and move past those feelings.” Aven began to pour the beef broth from the carton into the meat and vegetable mix she had created. “Do you know what's up with Noah?”
He shrugged his shoulders at the change of subject and realized that she was done having that discussion. No matter how many times he brought it up, he knew that once Aven was done talking about it then the conversation was over. If he pushed it, then she would only get upset and there would be a screaming match. Something he wasn't interested in being a part of today.
“Since Ayanna left, he has been acting strange.”
Again, he shrugged his shoulders as he didn't know what answer the woman wanted from him. “He and I don't speak much to begin with.”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “I wonder if he is upset that she isn't here. He probably blames me for her leaving.”
“I wouldn't know.” Tristan responded. He wasn't interested in this line of dialogue and whatever he could say to end it was what he was looking for. However, he honestly didn't know anything about Noah's strange, new behavior so there was nothing to say.
Aven's heart felt heavy. Not only was her sister not speaking with her through her own fault, but now Noah would barely even look at her. She had thought that her time away had allowed her to get over her feelings, but now that he seemed to completely ignore her she felt worse than before. Back when he was harassing her and trying to get her to get over him, she could sense that he cared for her in some way. Now, he didn't seem to care one way or the other. Most conversations that she had with him included a series of grunts and groans that eventually led to him disappearing upstairs once more.
She tried to tell herself that this is the way it should be and that she should be concentrating on her sister, but Noah was a person in the flesh before her while her sister didn't even want to see her. She couldn't help but think more about what was going on with him.
With a heavy sigh, she continued to prepare dinner knowing that Noah would come downstairs when she called. He would grunt a thank you to her and return upstairs. She would then find his dirty dish in the sink the next morning. It had been this way since Ayanna left and she worried that it would continue until her return.
Scott sat down in the overstuffed chair in his bedroom with the phone to his ear. He exhaled as he listened to the other man speak. “Well, I can't just drag her home and demand she make up.” He tried to chuckle to make it sound like a light hearted joke, but the message was still the same.
Sitting on the couch in his living room, Jeremy drank from a soda can and put it down on the coffee table. “I wasn't suggesting that. I just feel that if this continues they are both going to be miserable.”
He was silent for a moment when he thought he heard someone moving in the hallway. Scott didn't want Ayanna to overhear his conversation as he knew it would only cause her more hurt. Not only was he planning to get her back with her sister, but the overall theme meant out of his apartment. If she overheard that, she might misunderstand and think that she was an unwelcome guest which would only cause more drama in his life. When he was certain that no one was lurking outside his door, he began to speak. “It might make them miserable, but this isn't something we can force. I have talked to her about it, and she seems less passionately angry over it. Just give her some more time. It's only been a week.”
“Are you saying that because you don't want her to leave?” Though he was partially teasing his friend, he was half serious as well.
Scott frowned and pressed his lips together. “After her reaction when she thought we slept together, I have decided that it's hopeless between us. My friend, Joseph, has a cousin that he wants me to meet with. I think I am going to call her and see where it leads.”
“You mean attempt to get serious with someone else?” Jeremy listened for the grunt that was his friend's answer. “Wow. I mean I know you've dated girls before, but it was always to keep Ayanna from getting suspicious.”
“It's worthless to hide anything from her now, I've laid it all out on the table. Besides, don't jump ahead of me, yet. I haven't even met this girl, but yes I am looking for someone that I might want to date for a while or even permanently.” Scott leaned back further in his chair and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “I'm tired of feeling like I am waiting all the time for Ayanna to turn around and go, 'Oh, that's right, you've always helped me. You've always wanted me. Why didn't I see that before?' It's a fantasy and it'll never happen.”
“What happens when the chick realizes that you are in love with your best friend?” Jeremy began to take another drink of his soda.
Scott was quiet for a moment as he thought over the question. “I am beginning to wonder if I should have any contact with her at all. While she was pissed at me, I felt somewhat relieved that she wouldn't being showing up at my place or coming into work. Almost like she has become a burden.”
“She can be a lot to handle.” Taking a deep breath through his nose, Jeremy clicked his tongue afterward. “I guess that means you need Ayanna out of your apartment and back home as soon as possible.”
“Yeah.” The single word was full of agony and bitterness.
“Like you said; it's only been a week and she has already come this far. Maybe by the end of next week, Ayanna will be ready to at least confront Aven. Don't worry about it. I'll help you to make sure you can start your new life as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, man.” Scott stood up from his chair. “Well, I better head back out there or she might come to look for me.”
Jeremy chuckled. “Yeah, I have to meet Aven for dinner. Good luck with your mission. See you soon.”
“And with yours, good sir.”
“Stew will be ready in about five to ten minutes. You don't want it to cook too long for the vegetables will get mushy.” Aven told Tristan once she entered the kitchen.
She was dressed in a gray skirt that stopped at her knees with a white blouse and black high heels. Grabbing her purse next to the door, she looked down at the man sitting at the table to ensure that he had heard what she had said.
“Where are you going?” Tristan questioned. He had been watching her and examining her clothing since she entered the room.
“Out.” She spoke bluntly.
The upstairs door opened and Noah revealed himself. The look of disinterest vanished as soon as he saw the way she was dressed. “Where are you going?”
“Out.” Both Aven and Tristan spoke in unison.
“When will you be back?” Noah asked which was not a question that Aven had expected from him.
“When I get back.” Turning around, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
To her surprise, Noah stepped out with her and shut the door behind him. He was wearing black slacks and a button up shirt. If it weren't for his lack of shoes, Aven would have thought he was leaving the house as well. Though she realized it was strange attire for a man to be wearing when he is simply locked up in his bedroom.
“Exactly what is your problem with me?” Noah frowned. “Ever since you returned, you have ignored me and treated me like I barely exist.”
Aven snorted and was left speechless for a couple seconds. “Are you serious? You are the one that is sneaking in and out of the kitchen all the time. You don't eat meals with us. The only one that is ignoring anyone is you.”
He pointed at his chest with all four fingers. “You have to be insane to think that.”
“Oh, then explain your behavior to me.”
“I am a writer. I am writing. Remember that little book that I wanted to write that caused all this trouble to begin with? Did you think those things are just magically shit out while I dilly dally with the two of you downstairs?”
Aven looked at her watch and then back at the man in front of her. “I don't have time to argue with you right now. I am already late and I'm starving.”
As she turned to leave, Noah grabbed her upper arm. “Are you off on a little date with Jeremy?”
She glared over her shoulder. “What is with the condensation? I am a grown woman not only do I not have to tell you where I am going, you don't even get to know who with.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “A grown woman who ran away from every one when she found out she couldn't have what she wanted.”
“I needed space.”
“From what? I was giving you all the space you needed right here.” He tossed his free hand into the air. “I barely ever bothered you.”
Aven pulled her arm from his grasp. “I wanted to be away from you. Somewhere I could clear my head and my heart. I needed to move the fuck on with my life.”
“And look what that got you? Instead, you betrayed your sister and gave yourself a live in stalker.” Noah began to clap his hands. “Good work. Abandon your sister and sleep with her boyfriend.”
“Don't think I won't slap you, Noah.” She frowned as she crossed her arms. “I know I made mistakes and I am willing to pay the price. What I want to know is what the fuck is going on with you? Why do you suddenly care what I am doing?”
He stood quietly for a moment before he waved his hand at her. “Go do whatever you want. I couldn't care less.”
Ayanna was sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. She had stopped eating and waited for Scott to finish his phone call. When he entered into the kitchen, she offered him a smile.
“You didn't have to wait for me.” He told her as he walked over to his stool and took a seat. Upon sitting, he immediately took a swig of the glass of wine in front of him.
Ayanna had declined the offer for alcohol and hadn't drank anything since she had arrived in his home. “I hate eating alone. It reminds me of when Aven would hurry to eat her cereal and then just disappear.”
He nodded his head and touched the steak on his plate. “Well, let's heat this up in the microwave then.”
Leaning forward as Scott was about to take her plate from in front of her, Ayanna gently placed a kiss on his lips. “I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
She took a deep breath as he walked over to the microwave to warm up their meal. “For thinking that you would ever take advantage of me, and for my own behavior that night. If anyone should have been angry and upset it was you. I practically tried to rape you. It's pretty embarrassing now that I think about it.”
There was a soft tingle on his lips where her lips had touched his own. Part of him wanted to rub it away in hopes that the way his stomach tied into a knot would go with it, but he knew that this feeling would last him all night.
“Don't worry about it, Ayanna.” He pulled her plate from the microwave and offered it to her across the isle. “If I had woken up in that situation, I would have thought the same as well. The only thing that bothers me is that you drove home still drunk. Promise you won't do anything like that again.” The microwave dinged behind him and he retrieved his plate before returning to his seat.
Her eyes were down turned as she stared at her meal. “I must be a real inconvenience for you. That's probably why you keep bringing up me forgiving Aven, huh?”
“What? No!” He had picked up his fork and knife but nearly slammed them down when he answered. “I just don't want you and your sister to fight. You two have a very close bond and it would be very hard for you if it was destroyed over some moron.”
Ayanna tried to hold back her tears. “You know what the worst part of all this is?” She watched him shake his head. “She didn't even love him. I knew how he felt for her and if she had returned the favor, I think I would have been upset but I could have stepped out of the way. She didn't sleep with him because of that though. She just did it, because she could.”
Pressing his lips together, he nodded as he began to suck on his bottom lip. “You know that she wasn't trying to purposely hurt you, don't you? It was a moment of selfishness and I am certain she wishes she could take it all back.”
“She can wish all she wants, but that will always be in our history. In those moments, she made a conscious decision to sleep with him. She can't claim that she suddenly forgot he was my boyfriend or that her feelings just overtook her.” Ayanna swallowed as she continued to look at the food in front of her. The more she spoke the less appetite she had.
Reaching out his hand, Scott took hers into his own. “You're right. She was wrong and it's completely up to you whether she can be forgiven or not. The only thing I want you to ask yourself is do you want to lose your sister over this? It's not like she is a repeat offender that deserves to be cut off from your life.” Sitting forward, Scott kissed her forehead. “Remember that as you come to a decision.”
Ayanna gave a nod and then cleared her throat. “Let's change the subject for now.” She let go of his hand and turned on her stool to begin eating her dinner. “Do you want to watch a movie with me tonight?”
“Absolutely. Lady's choice.”
Tristan ate his meal in the kitchen alone, but was soon joined by an unannounced visitor. Eric walked with him down the stairs into his portion of the house. He had to turn on the lights once they were in the main living area, as his actor didn't seem interested in the task.
“I got a new script for you.” He held up the folder in his hand with a large smile forming on his lips. It had been a great deal of hard work to get him a part in this movie.
Tristan thought that was what it was, and had feared this moment. “I am not going to do any more movies.”
Raising his eyebrow, he was both curious and shocked at the young actor's words. He decided that he would have to go with his best weapon in the arsenal. “But Aven...”
“I am definitely not doing anymore with her!” He snapped, but seemed to come back to himself and leaned against the back of the couch. “The one movie was enough.”
Tossing the script onto the couch, Eric frowned. “Well, read it over anyway and see what you think.” When he got no response, he decided to take the initiative and ask. “What's going on? I thought you were excited to be alone with her.”
“I got my fill in Florida.” Tristan's eyes turned to the script on the couch. He wanted to pick it up and throw it at Eric, but knew it would only be taking his frustration out on his friend.
“What happened?” Eric leaned back on the corner of wall behind him and crossed his arms while he waited for Tristan to find the words.
“I slept with her.” He looked up at his friend. There was a certain sadness and disappointment in his eyes that was all too apparent. Eric thought he detected some humiliation as well.
“Ah, it didn't happen with her either?” He thought about walking over to Tristan and patting his shoulder, but knew the loner would recoil from such a gesture.
He slowly shook his head. “No, that happened.” Tristan waved his hand toward his friend and took a deep breath. “First time in my life, I felt comfortable and I was actually doing it.” His voice was becoming higher pitched as he spoke.
“So, what's the problem?” He stood up away from the wall briefly, before slowly leaning back into it again.
Swallowing, Tristan tried to decide if he wanted to tell him any of this. He was already deep enough in the story and knew he should finish. “She said that she was just using me because she was lonely and there is nothing there for me.”
“Nothing there for you?”
“No feelings.” Tristan stood up straight and began to pace. “How do you just sleep with someone that you don't care for? How do you just decide in a moment to do that without any consideration for the other person?”
Eric really had no words for him but he racked his mind for something. “Some people are capable of doing that and some people are just selfish. She knew who you were though and that doing something like that was no small feat. I'm sorry that she used you.”
Tristan snorted. “I'm so sick of hearing everyone apologize to me. I'm so tired of spending my life as an outsider. I'm pissed that I found the one person that I feel fucking comfortable with and she doesn't give a shit about me.”
“We can't force someone to have feelings for us. They do or they don't.” Eric moved away from the wall and walked closer to him. He arrived at the couch and leaned against it next to his friend. “There is nothing you can do.”
“Ayanna tried to make me.”
“And how did that work out for her?” He turned his head and tried to offer a playful smirk. “Let it go. Move on. That's your only option right now.”
“This life has been nothing but bullshit.” Tristan kicked the back of the couch to punctuate his last word.
Aven sat across the table from Jeremy. The restaurant was classically furnished with dark woods with silver and white decorations. There was a wine list and polite waiters, along with meal prices that made Aven nearly swallow her tongue. It wasn't a place that she found comfortable though Jeremy seemed to be right at home. Worst yet, no matter how much she tried to concentrate on the situation at hand her thoughts would return to Noah.
“I can't believe he thinks I am the one avoiding him.” Aven told the man sitting across from her after they ordered their meal. “Not only that but I think after what happened between us, it was perfectly natural for me to want space, but he acts like I was running away. What the hell!” She realized she had raised her voice and looked around the room to ensure she hadn't disturbed anyone. “I just don't get what he wants from me. I am leaving him alone. I am moving on. Somehow, none of that is good enough for him.”
“Maybe he doesn't want you to move on.” Jeremy didn't want to discuss this man with her, but knew they had to get the topic out of the way in order to enjoy their evening. It was all she had talked about as soon as she met him at the front door.
She snorted. “He's screwing with me. It has to be that. All this time I have known he is some sort of...” Looking around the room, she lowered her voice. “mind fuck, but I never expected him to go this far.”
He slowly nodded his head. “Well, if you think he is doing that then you should consider keeping some distance from him.”
Aven looked up from the table at him and grinned briefly. “I'm sorry, I am going on and on about this. He couldn't have done that at a more inappropriate time. He knew it would bother me and that I would focus on it.”
“He can't make you do anything. It has been your choice to not allow what he did to slide off your back.” Jeremy frowned before reaching across the table and taking one of her hands. “Don't let him destroy our first real date, Aven. Let's enjoy the moment.”
Nodding her head, she sat back in her chair which pulled her hand away from his. “Do you come to places like this often?” She hoped he would say yes so that she didn't feel like she was ruining a special event for him.
“No, I thought you would like it. I am more of a hamburgers and hot dogs guy. Don't worry about it though.” He said as if he could see the troublesome feelings in her eyes. “Let's just enjoy our time here.”
Aven leaned forward. “I am more of a hamburgers and hot dogs girl.”
He smirked. “I know, but that would be a normal every day outing for us. I wanted this to be memorable. So eat your food and if it's unsatisfying, we'll get some burgers on the way home.”
“I'll hold you to it.” She grabbed a hard bread stick from the center of the table and bit into her. “Yum, blandness.”
Chuckling, Jeremy took one and bit off a piece before spitting it into his hand. “That is awful.”
“Do you think they are just decoration?” She asked once she had swallowed down her moutful. Aven began to giggle as she watched Jeremy dump the chewed up bread that was in his hand under the table.
“What? I pay them to clean up after me.”
Waving her hand back and forth, she continued to giggle and her worries for that evening slowly dissipated.
Tristan could hear the pacing of the floor above his head as he stood in the kitchen. Normally, anyone in the kitchen couldn't hear Noah walking around, but his footsteps were rather heavy. They seemed to call for someone to go upstairs and check on him. Under most circumstances, Tristan would have just drank his glass of water and went downstairs, but he was feeling energized and ready for a fight.
The door upstairs was unlocked and Tristan made his way up to find Noah walking back and forth in his living room. His arms behind his back and his eyes looking toward the ground.
“I can hear you stomping around up here.” Tristan spoke breaking the silence of Noah's strange mediation.
Stopping, Noah looked up at the man in the entry way. “I don't remember hearing you knock.”
“That's probably because I didn't.” He thought that he should probably leave at this point, but the angry fighter in the back of his mind urged him to stay.
It didn't seem like Noah wanted any part of his visit as he walked into his bedroom, leaving his roommate alone in the living room. Within a few moments, Noah marched back out with a stance that told Tristan he was ready to fight. Why he had gone into the bedroom would always remain a mystery, but Tristan would later believe he just wanted to escape briefly.
“You are a pathetic little troll!” Noah barked as he came to stand in front of the other man. “Not only did you fuck up their relationship, but you have the gall to beg Aven to be with you!”
Tristan snorted. “At least, I'm brave enough to tell her how I feel even if I was rejected. Look at you! Pacing around, worried about her date. Stopping her from leaving like a child. Even grilling her about shit that is none of your business.”
Folding his arms across his chest, Noah glared up at the taller man. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Opening his mouth to speak, he closed it again and waved his hand toward Noah in an attempt to end this argument. He had come upstairs to cause a fight, but he was already drained. The little fighter in the back of his mind just didn't have the heart for it anymore.
Heading down the stairs, Tristan grabbed himself another glass of water and started towards his apartment's door. He didn't get far as Noah jumped in front of him.
“What the hell are you trying to imply?”
“Forget I said any thing.” Tristan attempted to walk around him, but he was blocked by the shorter man. “Noah, don't start with me.”
“You are the one that started all this.”
He glared at his opponent for several seconds. “Fine, I am implying that you want Aven for yourself and that you are jealous of Jeremy.”
“That's absurd!”
Tristan shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of water before speaking. “Well, I guess we got that cleared away then. I'm going to bed.” His escape was rejected again. “God damn it, Noah! I don't have any interest in dealing with you tonight, but if you force my hand...” Tristan stumbled back. “Don't shove me.”
“Or what?”
Putting his glass down on the counter, Tristan stood up as straight as possible. “I am not going to be your punching bag just because you are frustrated.”
Noah pushed his shoulder again.
“Are you serious? You want another round with me?” This time Tristan shoved him and Noah fell into the table and chairs behind him which resulted in a dirty dish on the table to break as it fell to the floor. “I'm not playing with you.” He snapped before heading toward his door before Noah gained his barrings again. With the door safely locked behind him, Tristan concluded that he would be stuck downstairs for the remainder of the evening.
Sitting on the couch after the movie ended, Ayanna and Scott chuckled at the horrible romantic comedy they had just watched. They had both changed into their pajamas for the movie, but it still wasn't late enough to head off to bed yet.
“I swear, I don't know why I bother watching her movies.” Ayanna rolled her eyes as she reached for the glass of soda on the coffee table. “She is like a curse to every film she is in, and yet she keeps making money.”
He smiled as he watched her take a drink. “Maybe you are hoping that she gets better.”
“Maybe.” She set the glass down and turned to face him. “What do you want to do now?” Ayanna folded her hands on her lap.
“Could we go back to our earlier conversation?” He wanted to get some answers and predictions from her tonight, even if that meant he had to be a little pushy.
“If it involves my sister then no.”
Scott swallowed down the worried lump in his throat. “I am really worried about you, Ayanna. How long do you think that you can avoid her? Don't you want to hear what she has to say?”
“No. I don't want to talk about this.” Ayanna grabbed her glass that was half empty and went into the kitchen to fill it back up.
Following her into the kitchen, he sat at the breakfast bar as she pulled the two liter of soda from the fridge. “I am only asking because I want to see you happy. You know that, don't you?”
“I know.” She finished pouring her drink and shut the refrigerator door. Walking around the island, she sat down beside him. “What she did to me, I can't forgive. At least not yet. So, please just give me more time.”
Placing his hand on her mid-upper back, he gently stroked her in an attempt to comfort her. “I'll stop for now then.”
“Thank you.” Ayanna turned in her chair and leaned in to kiss his check, but she caught the corner of his mouth.
When she sat back their eyes connected. Scott was more worried that she would think he had tried to kiss her on the lips. Before he could apologize, Ayanna leaned forward once more and began to kiss him. Her hands quickly cupped his face, but Scott was quick to get up from his stool. He never responded to the kiss.
“I think that's a bad idea.”
“What?” She stood up from her own stool.
“You are going through a difficult time right now. After Tristan rejected you and what your sister did, I think you are vulnerable. Tomorrow you'll be upset with me and I'll be chasing you shirtless down to your car.” He put out his hands to rest on her upper arms. “I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret later, especially with me. With what happened that last time, I realized that I don't want to destroy our friendship.”
“I think I know myself well enough and I'm perfectly sober.” The offensiveness came across clearly in her voice.
“You think that now, but come tomorrow...”
“Fuck you. I am finally willing to have something with you, and you just reject me!” Ayanna began to storm out of the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom. “Screw everyone! I don't give a shit anymore!”
“Ayanna, come on. I am not rejecting you.” He followed her down the hall, but only got the door slammed in his face. “Open the door, let's talk about this. I'm sorry that I hurt you.”
“Go away, I'm going to sleep!” She screamed.
Scott decided that she was too upset to be rational and began to go around the apartment turning off lights. He dumped out her full glass of soda in the sink and washed some of the dishes before heading off to bed himself.
“Thank you for coming out with me tonight.” Jeremy spoke as he walked her up the driveway to her front door. His foot steps were short as if he was trying to draw out the walk to the front door. Aven followed his lead as she walked along beside him.
“Thanks for taking me out. Everything has been so hectic, it's nice having someone around that will allow me to forget it and just enjoy myself.” Aven smiled at him, her hands clutching onto her purse that hung in front of her. She knew that in a few moments, she would have to return to reality where she had hurt her sister. In that house, was the man she had wanted, the man that wanted her, and an empty bedroom where her sister once slept.
He stopped before they made it half way to the porch and turned to face her. “I really appreciate that you are giving me this chance, despite everything that has happened.”
“Are we just going to end the night by thanking each other for each individual thing that the other has done?” She was teasing and the smirk on Jeremy's lips told her that he picked up on it.
“Will it keep you from going inside?”
Aven lowered her eyes slightly touched and embarrassed. She feared that she might actually blush at this man's comments. When her eyes turned back upward, she found Jeremy moving toward her. His lips inching closer to her own. It was a split second decision for her in those moments to allow him to kiss her or not. In that short moment, there was a thousand different thoughts as to why not and a thousand more to counter them. Finally, she decided that...
Jeremy quickly disappeared from her line of sight as he fell to the ground. A shadow of a man standing between them.
“Noah!” Aven screamed as she rushed down to check on Jeremy. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Hovering over the two, Noah didn't say anything but instead just glared down at him. After a couple moments of watching Aven ask if the other man was alright, the anger in his eyes turned to concern. He said nothing to them as he moved back into the house to disappear into his own apartment.
“I'm so sorry.” Were the words that Noah could hear from behind the closed door as he moved through the kitchen and up the stairs.
Once in his own apartment, he sat down on the couch and stared at the empty wine glass on the table. He had been waiting like a dog for his master to come home, and when he saw the headlights from a car fill the driveway he had looked out the window and rushed down the stairs. He couldn't understand why he had done that. More importantly, he couldn't understand why he had attacked Jeremy like that.
He didn't want Aven so what did he care if she was kissing another man. She should be allowed to do whatever she wants without him getting involved in her life. He was just a tenant and she was just his landlady. There should be no other relationship between them, he decided.
Though if that were true, then why did he constantly worry about what Aven was doing or thinking. Why did he go to bed early at night in order to hurry downstairs and see her while she made breakfast, even if he retreated back upstairs as quickly as possible?
He couldn't be jealous, he concluded. What was there to be jealous of? He didn't want Aven, so why would he be jealous that another man was taking her? Maybe it was some sort of perverted ownership. She was once his, in some morbid way, and he didn't like the idea of another man touching what was once for him. Like a child who never played with a certain toy, but refused to allow his sibling to have it.
That had to be it, he decided. He was acting like a child and this needed to end. He would stop himself from now on from doing these childish things, and more importantly he would try to avoid Aven as much as possible. They still needed distance between them.
He heard the front door close downstairs, and wondered if Aven had kissed Jeremy despite his attempt, but the thought quickly went away as he made his way down the stairs. He watched Aven's shadow under the door stop in front of his door, and part of him hoped she would want to talk to him, but another wished her away.
The lights in the kitchen went off and Aven escaped into her own area of the house. The night was over and all Noah could do was wait to see what the consequences would be in the morning.
It had been a long day at work and the drive home had been quiet. Ayanna had come to work every day of the week and he assumed it was because she didn't want to be alone. At work, there was a myriad of tasks to complete that would help her keep her mind off her problems.
There had been no talk of Aven or Tristan in the last two days, so Scott decided he would try again. He had been in contact with Aven and she had explained herself to him. It wasn't that he believed her to be an innocent party, but he knew how close the two sisters were and didn't want to see them separate over this.
Ayanna loved and worshiped her sister and had since they were children. He knew that she was hurting not having her in her life even if it was only for a week. She had been so lonely when Aven was away on the film set. Even though she talked of missing Tristan, he knew that it was Aven that she really missed.
Aven was always the one who would sacrifice herself for her two siblings. It was strange to Scott that she would do something like this to her sister. The last thing he would ever imagine Aven doing was purposely hurting them, but that was exactly what she had done. He asked himself if he could forgive her in Ayanna's place, yet no answer satisfied him. The truth was he could never know until he found himself there.
Walking into the apartment, Scott announced that he was going to make a simple dinner while Ayanna headed into her bedroom to change. That had become their habit after work. Both would put on their pajamas then Scott would cook their dinner over conversation.
Once they were in the kitchen, he began to take out the broccoli and a steak for them to share. While his frying pan warmed up on the stove, he seasoned the meat and prepared a cooking pot with chicken stock for their vegetables. Ayanna sat at the breakfast bar and watched him. She never offered to help and he never asked.
“Have you thought about talking to Aven?” He wasn't sure that asking before dinner was the appropriate time, but it would be all that was on his mind.
“No.” She responded, but it was not with the same heated passion he was used to hearing when Aven's name was brought up.
“No you haven't thought about it or no you aren't going to?”
“Either way the path is the same.” She watched as he crushed some garlic with a fork, before he began to chop it up. “I like a lot of garlic.”
“I know.” He continued on with his task. “Don't you think now that you both have calmed down that you should at least listen to what she has to say?”
“No.”
Scott tried not to sigh or show any discontent. “She feels really guilty and all she has done is beat herself up over this. Aven has never done anything like this to you, so it's not like it's a habit.”
The frown on her lips began to deepen and she looked up from the chopping block to his face. “Does that excuse what she did?”
“It doesn't, but can't you...”
“No.”
Ayanna had moved from being angry to just stubborn, but it was a step however small. Scott decided to drop the subject for now. At the very least he had gotten his bearing as to where she was in her mourning process. That would be good enough for now.
---***
“Have you talked to Ayanna?” Tristan asked while sitting at the table in their kitchen. She was making dinner for everyone, though the past week Noah had been taking his meals upstairs. It left Aven with her awkward meals alone with the blonde man that lived in her basement.
“She'll call when she's ready.” Aven informed him, not certain why he had taken an interest in her sister's wellbeing. The man was selfish and she knew that his asking had to do something with him.
Tristan hadn't brought up their relationship since the day Ayanna left, and he was beginning to feel antsy. “Have you thought about what happened between us?”
Aven sighed and glared over at him from the stove. “I told you before, there is nothing between us. What happened was a mistake on my part. I am the cruel one here. I used you and I hurt my sister. That's all there is.”
He was quiet for a while as he watched her prepare their beef stew. The smell of the cooking meats was an aroma that he knew had carried throughout the house. It had come into his own living quarters which had informed him that Aven was in the kitchen. The smell of cooking food usually signified that Ayanna was home and it had taken both men a couple days to get used to the sight of Aven standing in the kitchen.
In some ways, Tristan missed the happiness that Ayanna would bring to every meal. Her food wasn't nearly as good as Aven's, but it came with a smile. He didn't know why that was so important to eating a meal, nor did he understand why he missed the constant squawking that the younger sister did while they ate. He loved his quiet, but now things were too silent. It was like they were constantly in a cemetery during a funeral.
“I care about you.” He nearly gagged on the words. It wasn't because they weren't true, but they felt so unnatural when he spoke them.
“I know, you've told me and I've told you that nothing will ever happen between us, so it's best that you start accepting that and move past those feelings.” Aven began to pour the beef broth from the carton into the meat and vegetable mix she had created. “Do you know what's up with Noah?”
He shrugged his shoulders at the change of subject and realized that she was done having that discussion. No matter how many times he brought it up, he knew that once Aven was done talking about it then the conversation was over. If he pushed it, then she would only get upset and there would be a screaming match. Something he wasn't interested in being a part of today.
“Since Ayanna left, he has been acting strange.”
Again, he shrugged his shoulders as he didn't know what answer the woman wanted from him. “He and I don't speak much to begin with.”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “I wonder if he is upset that she isn't here. He probably blames me for her leaving.”
“I wouldn't know.” Tristan responded. He wasn't interested in this line of dialogue and whatever he could say to end it was what he was looking for. However, he honestly didn't know anything about Noah's strange, new behavior so there was nothing to say.
Aven's heart felt heavy. Not only was her sister not speaking with her through her own fault, but now Noah would barely even look at her. She had thought that her time away had allowed her to get over her feelings, but now that he seemed to completely ignore her she felt worse than before. Back when he was harassing her and trying to get her to get over him, she could sense that he cared for her in some way. Now, he didn't seem to care one way or the other. Most conversations that she had with him included a series of grunts and groans that eventually led to him disappearing upstairs once more.
She tried to tell herself that this is the way it should be and that she should be concentrating on her sister, but Noah was a person in the flesh before her while her sister didn't even want to see her. She couldn't help but think more about what was going on with him.
With a heavy sigh, she continued to prepare dinner knowing that Noah would come downstairs when she called. He would grunt a thank you to her and return upstairs. She would then find his dirty dish in the sink the next morning. It had been this way since Ayanna left and she worried that it would continue until her return.
---***
Scott sat down in the overstuffed chair in his bedroom with the phone to his ear. He exhaled as he listened to the other man speak. “Well, I can't just drag her home and demand she make up.” He tried to chuckle to make it sound like a light hearted joke, but the message was still the same.
Sitting on the couch in his living room, Jeremy drank from a soda can and put it down on the coffee table. “I wasn't suggesting that. I just feel that if this continues they are both going to be miserable.”
He was silent for a moment when he thought he heard someone moving in the hallway. Scott didn't want Ayanna to overhear his conversation as he knew it would only cause her more hurt. Not only was he planning to get her back with her sister, but the overall theme meant out of his apartment. If she overheard that, she might misunderstand and think that she was an unwelcome guest which would only cause more drama in his life. When he was certain that no one was lurking outside his door, he began to speak. “It might make them miserable, but this isn't something we can force. I have talked to her about it, and she seems less passionately angry over it. Just give her some more time. It's only been a week.”
“Are you saying that because you don't want her to leave?” Though he was partially teasing his friend, he was half serious as well.
Scott frowned and pressed his lips together. “After her reaction when she thought we slept together, I have decided that it's hopeless between us. My friend, Joseph, has a cousin that he wants me to meet with. I think I am going to call her and see where it leads.”
“You mean attempt to get serious with someone else?” Jeremy listened for the grunt that was his friend's answer. “Wow. I mean I know you've dated girls before, but it was always to keep Ayanna from getting suspicious.”
“It's worthless to hide anything from her now, I've laid it all out on the table. Besides, don't jump ahead of me, yet. I haven't even met this girl, but yes I am looking for someone that I might want to date for a while or even permanently.” Scott leaned back further in his chair and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “I'm tired of feeling like I am waiting all the time for Ayanna to turn around and go, 'Oh, that's right, you've always helped me. You've always wanted me. Why didn't I see that before?' It's a fantasy and it'll never happen.”
“What happens when the chick realizes that you are in love with your best friend?” Jeremy began to take another drink of his soda.
Scott was quiet for a moment as he thought over the question. “I am beginning to wonder if I should have any contact with her at all. While she was pissed at me, I felt somewhat relieved that she wouldn't being showing up at my place or coming into work. Almost like she has become a burden.”
“She can be a lot to handle.” Taking a deep breath through his nose, Jeremy clicked his tongue afterward. “I guess that means you need Ayanna out of your apartment and back home as soon as possible.”
“Yeah.” The single word was full of agony and bitterness.
“Like you said; it's only been a week and she has already come this far. Maybe by the end of next week, Ayanna will be ready to at least confront Aven. Don't worry about it. I'll help you to make sure you can start your new life as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, man.” Scott stood up from his chair. “Well, I better head back out there or she might come to look for me.”
Jeremy chuckled. “Yeah, I have to meet Aven for dinner. Good luck with your mission. See you soon.”
“And with yours, good sir.”
---***
“Stew will be ready in about five to ten minutes. You don't want it to cook too long for the vegetables will get mushy.” Aven told Tristan once she entered the kitchen.
She was dressed in a gray skirt that stopped at her knees with a white blouse and black high heels. Grabbing her purse next to the door, she looked down at the man sitting at the table to ensure that he had heard what she had said.
“Where are you going?” Tristan questioned. He had been watching her and examining her clothing since she entered the room.
“Out.” She spoke bluntly.
The upstairs door opened and Noah revealed himself. The look of disinterest vanished as soon as he saw the way she was dressed. “Where are you going?”
“Out.” Both Aven and Tristan spoke in unison.
“When will you be back?” Noah asked which was not a question that Aven had expected from him.
“When I get back.” Turning around, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
To her surprise, Noah stepped out with her and shut the door behind him. He was wearing black slacks and a button up shirt. If it weren't for his lack of shoes, Aven would have thought he was leaving the house as well. Though she realized it was strange attire for a man to be wearing when he is simply locked up in his bedroom.
“Exactly what is your problem with me?” Noah frowned. “Ever since you returned, you have ignored me and treated me like I barely exist.”
Aven snorted and was left speechless for a couple seconds. “Are you serious? You are the one that is sneaking in and out of the kitchen all the time. You don't eat meals with us. The only one that is ignoring anyone is you.”
He pointed at his chest with all four fingers. “You have to be insane to think that.”
“Oh, then explain your behavior to me.”
“I am a writer. I am writing. Remember that little book that I wanted to write that caused all this trouble to begin with? Did you think those things are just magically shit out while I dilly dally with the two of you downstairs?”
Aven looked at her watch and then back at the man in front of her. “I don't have time to argue with you right now. I am already late and I'm starving.”
As she turned to leave, Noah grabbed her upper arm. “Are you off on a little date with Jeremy?”
She glared over her shoulder. “What is with the condensation? I am a grown woman not only do I not have to tell you where I am going, you don't even get to know who with.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “A grown woman who ran away from every one when she found out she couldn't have what she wanted.”
“I needed space.”
“From what? I was giving you all the space you needed right here.” He tossed his free hand into the air. “I barely ever bothered you.”
Aven pulled her arm from his grasp. “I wanted to be away from you. Somewhere I could clear my head and my heart. I needed to move the fuck on with my life.”
“And look what that got you? Instead, you betrayed your sister and gave yourself a live in stalker.” Noah began to clap his hands. “Good work. Abandon your sister and sleep with her boyfriend.”
“Don't think I won't slap you, Noah.” She frowned as she crossed her arms. “I know I made mistakes and I am willing to pay the price. What I want to know is what the fuck is going on with you? Why do you suddenly care what I am doing?”
He stood quietly for a moment before he waved his hand at her. “Go do whatever you want. I couldn't care less.”
---***
Ayanna was sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. She had stopped eating and waited for Scott to finish his phone call. When he entered into the kitchen, she offered him a smile.
“You didn't have to wait for me.” He told her as he walked over to his stool and took a seat. Upon sitting, he immediately took a swig of the glass of wine in front of him.
Ayanna had declined the offer for alcohol and hadn't drank anything since she had arrived in his home. “I hate eating alone. It reminds me of when Aven would hurry to eat her cereal and then just disappear.”
He nodded his head and touched the steak on his plate. “Well, let's heat this up in the microwave then.”
Leaning forward as Scott was about to take her plate from in front of her, Ayanna gently placed a kiss on his lips. “I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
She took a deep breath as he walked over to the microwave to warm up their meal. “For thinking that you would ever take advantage of me, and for my own behavior that night. If anyone should have been angry and upset it was you. I practically tried to rape you. It's pretty embarrassing now that I think about it.”
There was a soft tingle on his lips where her lips had touched his own. Part of him wanted to rub it away in hopes that the way his stomach tied into a knot would go with it, but he knew that this feeling would last him all night.
“Don't worry about it, Ayanna.” He pulled her plate from the microwave and offered it to her across the isle. “If I had woken up in that situation, I would have thought the same as well. The only thing that bothers me is that you drove home still drunk. Promise you won't do anything like that again.” The microwave dinged behind him and he retrieved his plate before returning to his seat.
Her eyes were down turned as she stared at her meal. “I must be a real inconvenience for you. That's probably why you keep bringing up me forgiving Aven, huh?”
“What? No!” He had picked up his fork and knife but nearly slammed them down when he answered. “I just don't want you and your sister to fight. You two have a very close bond and it would be very hard for you if it was destroyed over some moron.”
Ayanna tried to hold back her tears. “You know what the worst part of all this is?” She watched him shake his head. “She didn't even love him. I knew how he felt for her and if she had returned the favor, I think I would have been upset but I could have stepped out of the way. She didn't sleep with him because of that though. She just did it, because she could.”
Pressing his lips together, he nodded as he began to suck on his bottom lip. “You know that she wasn't trying to purposely hurt you, don't you? It was a moment of selfishness and I am certain she wishes she could take it all back.”
“She can wish all she wants, but that will always be in our history. In those moments, she made a conscious decision to sleep with him. She can't claim that she suddenly forgot he was my boyfriend or that her feelings just overtook her.” Ayanna swallowed as she continued to look at the food in front of her. The more she spoke the less appetite she had.
Reaching out his hand, Scott took hers into his own. “You're right. She was wrong and it's completely up to you whether she can be forgiven or not. The only thing I want you to ask yourself is do you want to lose your sister over this? It's not like she is a repeat offender that deserves to be cut off from your life.” Sitting forward, Scott kissed her forehead. “Remember that as you come to a decision.”
Ayanna gave a nod and then cleared her throat. “Let's change the subject for now.” She let go of his hand and turned on her stool to begin eating her dinner. “Do you want to watch a movie with me tonight?”
“Absolutely. Lady's choice.”
---***
Tristan ate his meal in the kitchen alone, but was soon joined by an unannounced visitor. Eric walked with him down the stairs into his portion of the house. He had to turn on the lights once they were in the main living area, as his actor didn't seem interested in the task.
“I got a new script for you.” He held up the folder in his hand with a large smile forming on his lips. It had been a great deal of hard work to get him a part in this movie.
Tristan thought that was what it was, and had feared this moment. “I am not going to do any more movies.”
Raising his eyebrow, he was both curious and shocked at the young actor's words. He decided that he would have to go with his best weapon in the arsenal. “But Aven...”
“I am definitely not doing anymore with her!” He snapped, but seemed to come back to himself and leaned against the back of the couch. “The one movie was enough.”
Tossing the script onto the couch, Eric frowned. “Well, read it over anyway and see what you think.” When he got no response, he decided to take the initiative and ask. “What's going on? I thought you were excited to be alone with her.”
“I got my fill in Florida.” Tristan's eyes turned to the script on the couch. He wanted to pick it up and throw it at Eric, but knew it would only be taking his frustration out on his friend.
“What happened?” Eric leaned back on the corner of wall behind him and crossed his arms while he waited for Tristan to find the words.
“I slept with her.” He looked up at his friend. There was a certain sadness and disappointment in his eyes that was all too apparent. Eric thought he detected some humiliation as well.
“Ah, it didn't happen with her either?” He thought about walking over to Tristan and patting his shoulder, but knew the loner would recoil from such a gesture.
He slowly shook his head. “No, that happened.” Tristan waved his hand toward his friend and took a deep breath. “First time in my life, I felt comfortable and I was actually doing it.” His voice was becoming higher pitched as he spoke.
“So, what's the problem?” He stood up away from the wall briefly, before slowly leaning back into it again.
Swallowing, Tristan tried to decide if he wanted to tell him any of this. He was already deep enough in the story and knew he should finish. “She said that she was just using me because she was lonely and there is nothing there for me.”
“Nothing there for you?”
“No feelings.” Tristan stood up straight and began to pace. “How do you just sleep with someone that you don't care for? How do you just decide in a moment to do that without any consideration for the other person?”
Eric really had no words for him but he racked his mind for something. “Some people are capable of doing that and some people are just selfish. She knew who you were though and that doing something like that was no small feat. I'm sorry that she used you.”
Tristan snorted. “I'm so sick of hearing everyone apologize to me. I'm so tired of spending my life as an outsider. I'm pissed that I found the one person that I feel fucking comfortable with and she doesn't give a shit about me.”
“We can't force someone to have feelings for us. They do or they don't.” Eric moved away from the wall and walked closer to him. He arrived at the couch and leaned against it next to his friend. “There is nothing you can do.”
“Ayanna tried to make me.”
“And how did that work out for her?” He turned his head and tried to offer a playful smirk. “Let it go. Move on. That's your only option right now.”
“This life has been nothing but bullshit.” Tristan kicked the back of the couch to punctuate his last word.
---***
Aven sat across the table from Jeremy. The restaurant was classically furnished with dark woods with silver and white decorations. There was a wine list and polite waiters, along with meal prices that made Aven nearly swallow her tongue. It wasn't a place that she found comfortable though Jeremy seemed to be right at home. Worst yet, no matter how much she tried to concentrate on the situation at hand her thoughts would return to Noah.
“I can't believe he thinks I am the one avoiding him.” Aven told the man sitting across from her after they ordered their meal. “Not only that but I think after what happened between us, it was perfectly natural for me to want space, but he acts like I was running away. What the hell!” She realized she had raised her voice and looked around the room to ensure she hadn't disturbed anyone. “I just don't get what he wants from me. I am leaving him alone. I am moving on. Somehow, none of that is good enough for him.”
“Maybe he doesn't want you to move on.” Jeremy didn't want to discuss this man with her, but knew they had to get the topic out of the way in order to enjoy their evening. It was all she had talked about as soon as she met him at the front door.
She snorted. “He's screwing with me. It has to be that. All this time I have known he is some sort of...” Looking around the room, she lowered her voice. “mind fuck, but I never expected him to go this far.”
He slowly nodded his head. “Well, if you think he is doing that then you should consider keeping some distance from him.”
Aven looked up from the table at him and grinned briefly. “I'm sorry, I am going on and on about this. He couldn't have done that at a more inappropriate time. He knew it would bother me and that I would focus on it.”
“He can't make you do anything. It has been your choice to not allow what he did to slide off your back.” Jeremy frowned before reaching across the table and taking one of her hands. “Don't let him destroy our first real date, Aven. Let's enjoy the moment.”
Nodding her head, she sat back in her chair which pulled her hand away from his. “Do you come to places like this often?” She hoped he would say yes so that she didn't feel like she was ruining a special event for him.
“No, I thought you would like it. I am more of a hamburgers and hot dogs guy. Don't worry about it though.” He said as if he could see the troublesome feelings in her eyes. “Let's just enjoy our time here.”
Aven leaned forward. “I am more of a hamburgers and hot dogs girl.”
He smirked. “I know, but that would be a normal every day outing for us. I wanted this to be memorable. So eat your food and if it's unsatisfying, we'll get some burgers on the way home.”
“I'll hold you to it.” She grabbed a hard bread stick from the center of the table and bit into her. “Yum, blandness.”
Chuckling, Jeremy took one and bit off a piece before spitting it into his hand. “That is awful.”
“Do you think they are just decoration?” She asked once she had swallowed down her moutful. Aven began to giggle as she watched Jeremy dump the chewed up bread that was in his hand under the table.
“What? I pay them to clean up after me.”
Waving her hand back and forth, she continued to giggle and her worries for that evening slowly dissipated.
---***
Tristan could hear the pacing of the floor above his head as he stood in the kitchen. Normally, anyone in the kitchen couldn't hear Noah walking around, but his footsteps were rather heavy. They seemed to call for someone to go upstairs and check on him. Under most circumstances, Tristan would have just drank his glass of water and went downstairs, but he was feeling energized and ready for a fight.
The door upstairs was unlocked and Tristan made his way up to find Noah walking back and forth in his living room. His arms behind his back and his eyes looking toward the ground.
“I can hear you stomping around up here.” Tristan spoke breaking the silence of Noah's strange mediation.
Stopping, Noah looked up at the man in the entry way. “I don't remember hearing you knock.”
“That's probably because I didn't.” He thought that he should probably leave at this point, but the angry fighter in the back of his mind urged him to stay.
It didn't seem like Noah wanted any part of his visit as he walked into his bedroom, leaving his roommate alone in the living room. Within a few moments, Noah marched back out with a stance that told Tristan he was ready to fight. Why he had gone into the bedroom would always remain a mystery, but Tristan would later believe he just wanted to escape briefly.
“You are a pathetic little troll!” Noah barked as he came to stand in front of the other man. “Not only did you fuck up their relationship, but you have the gall to beg Aven to be with you!”
Tristan snorted. “At least, I'm brave enough to tell her how I feel even if I was rejected. Look at you! Pacing around, worried about her date. Stopping her from leaving like a child. Even grilling her about shit that is none of your business.”
Folding his arms across his chest, Noah glared up at the taller man. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Opening his mouth to speak, he closed it again and waved his hand toward Noah in an attempt to end this argument. He had come upstairs to cause a fight, but he was already drained. The little fighter in the back of his mind just didn't have the heart for it anymore.
Heading down the stairs, Tristan grabbed himself another glass of water and started towards his apartment's door. He didn't get far as Noah jumped in front of him.
“What the hell are you trying to imply?”
“Forget I said any thing.” Tristan attempted to walk around him, but he was blocked by the shorter man. “Noah, don't start with me.”
“You are the one that started all this.”
He glared at his opponent for several seconds. “Fine, I am implying that you want Aven for yourself and that you are jealous of Jeremy.”
“That's absurd!”
Tristan shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of water before speaking. “Well, I guess we got that cleared away then. I'm going to bed.” His escape was rejected again. “God damn it, Noah! I don't have any interest in dealing with you tonight, but if you force my hand...” Tristan stumbled back. “Don't shove me.”
“Or what?”
Putting his glass down on the counter, Tristan stood up as straight as possible. “I am not going to be your punching bag just because you are frustrated.”
Noah pushed his shoulder again.
“Are you serious? You want another round with me?” This time Tristan shoved him and Noah fell into the table and chairs behind him which resulted in a dirty dish on the table to break as it fell to the floor. “I'm not playing with you.” He snapped before heading toward his door before Noah gained his barrings again. With the door safely locked behind him, Tristan concluded that he would be stuck downstairs for the remainder of the evening.
---***
Sitting on the couch after the movie ended, Ayanna and Scott chuckled at the horrible romantic comedy they had just watched. They had both changed into their pajamas for the movie, but it still wasn't late enough to head off to bed yet.
“I swear, I don't know why I bother watching her movies.” Ayanna rolled her eyes as she reached for the glass of soda on the coffee table. “She is like a curse to every film she is in, and yet she keeps making money.”
He smiled as he watched her take a drink. “Maybe you are hoping that she gets better.”
“Maybe.” She set the glass down and turned to face him. “What do you want to do now?” Ayanna folded her hands on her lap.
“Could we go back to our earlier conversation?” He wanted to get some answers and predictions from her tonight, even if that meant he had to be a little pushy.
“If it involves my sister then no.”
Scott swallowed down the worried lump in his throat. “I am really worried about you, Ayanna. How long do you think that you can avoid her? Don't you want to hear what she has to say?”
“No. I don't want to talk about this.” Ayanna grabbed her glass that was half empty and went into the kitchen to fill it back up.
Following her into the kitchen, he sat at the breakfast bar as she pulled the two liter of soda from the fridge. “I am only asking because I want to see you happy. You know that, don't you?”
“I know.” She finished pouring her drink and shut the refrigerator door. Walking around the island, she sat down beside him. “What she did to me, I can't forgive. At least not yet. So, please just give me more time.”
Placing his hand on her mid-upper back, he gently stroked her in an attempt to comfort her. “I'll stop for now then.”
“Thank you.” Ayanna turned in her chair and leaned in to kiss his check, but she caught the corner of his mouth.
When she sat back their eyes connected. Scott was more worried that she would think he had tried to kiss her on the lips. Before he could apologize, Ayanna leaned forward once more and began to kiss him. Her hands quickly cupped his face, but Scott was quick to get up from his stool. He never responded to the kiss.
“I think that's a bad idea.”
“What?” She stood up from her own stool.
“You are going through a difficult time right now. After Tristan rejected you and what your sister did, I think you are vulnerable. Tomorrow you'll be upset with me and I'll be chasing you shirtless down to your car.” He put out his hands to rest on her upper arms. “I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret later, especially with me. With what happened that last time, I realized that I don't want to destroy our friendship.”
“I think I know myself well enough and I'm perfectly sober.” The offensiveness came across clearly in her voice.
“You think that now, but come tomorrow...”
“Fuck you. I am finally willing to have something with you, and you just reject me!” Ayanna began to storm out of the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom. “Screw everyone! I don't give a shit anymore!”
“Ayanna, come on. I am not rejecting you.” He followed her down the hall, but only got the door slammed in his face. “Open the door, let's talk about this. I'm sorry that I hurt you.”
“Go away, I'm going to sleep!” She screamed.
Scott decided that she was too upset to be rational and began to go around the apartment turning off lights. He dumped out her full glass of soda in the sink and washed some of the dishes before heading off to bed himself.
“Thank you for coming out with me tonight.” Jeremy spoke as he walked her up the driveway to her front door. His foot steps were short as if he was trying to draw out the walk to the front door. Aven followed his lead as she walked along beside him.
“Thanks for taking me out. Everything has been so hectic, it's nice having someone around that will allow me to forget it and just enjoy myself.” Aven smiled at him, her hands clutching onto her purse that hung in front of her. She knew that in a few moments, she would have to return to reality where she had hurt her sister. In that house, was the man she had wanted, the man that wanted her, and an empty bedroom where her sister once slept.
He stopped before they made it half way to the porch and turned to face her. “I really appreciate that you are giving me this chance, despite everything that has happened.”
“Are we just going to end the night by thanking each other for each individual thing that the other has done?” She was teasing and the smirk on Jeremy's lips told her that he picked up on it.
“Will it keep you from going inside?”
Aven lowered her eyes slightly touched and embarrassed. She feared that she might actually blush at this man's comments. When her eyes turned back upward, she found Jeremy moving toward her. His lips inching closer to her own. It was a split second decision for her in those moments to allow him to kiss her or not. In that short moment, there was a thousand different thoughts as to why not and a thousand more to counter them. Finally, she decided that...
Jeremy quickly disappeared from her line of sight as he fell to the ground. A shadow of a man standing between them.
“Noah!” Aven screamed as she rushed down to check on Jeremy. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Hovering over the two, Noah didn't say anything but instead just glared down at him. After a couple moments of watching Aven ask if the other man was alright, the anger in his eyes turned to concern. He said nothing to them as he moved back into the house to disappear into his own apartment.
“I'm so sorry.” Were the words that Noah could hear from behind the closed door as he moved through the kitchen and up the stairs.
Once in his own apartment, he sat down on the couch and stared at the empty wine glass on the table. He had been waiting like a dog for his master to come home, and when he saw the headlights from a car fill the driveway he had looked out the window and rushed down the stairs. He couldn't understand why he had done that. More importantly, he couldn't understand why he had attacked Jeremy like that.
He didn't want Aven so what did he care if she was kissing another man. She should be allowed to do whatever she wants without him getting involved in her life. He was just a tenant and she was just his landlady. There should be no other relationship between them, he decided.
Though if that were true, then why did he constantly worry about what Aven was doing or thinking. Why did he go to bed early at night in order to hurry downstairs and see her while she made breakfast, even if he retreated back upstairs as quickly as possible?
He couldn't be jealous, he concluded. What was there to be jealous of? He didn't want Aven, so why would he be jealous that another man was taking her? Maybe it was some sort of perverted ownership. She was once his, in some morbid way, and he didn't like the idea of another man touching what was once for him. Like a child who never played with a certain toy, but refused to allow his sibling to have it.
That had to be it, he decided. He was acting like a child and this needed to end. He would stop himself from now on from doing these childish things, and more importantly he would try to avoid Aven as much as possible. They still needed distance between them.
He heard the front door close downstairs, and wondered if Aven had kissed Jeremy despite his attempt, but the thought quickly went away as he made his way down the stairs. He watched Aven's shadow under the door stop in front of his door, and part of him hoped she would want to talk to him, but another wished her away.
The lights in the kitchen went off and Aven escaped into her own area of the house. The night was over and all Noah could do was wait to see what the consequences would be in the morning.